


The Way You Are

by FoxyDangerfluff (Argent_Vulpine)



Series: Souls Entwined [3]
Category: Changeling (Visual Novel)
Genre: A little angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Post Game, serious talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 03:39:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17994161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argent_Vulpine/pseuds/FoxyDangerfluff





	The Way You Are

It had been a long day for the both of them. School was out for winter break, but that didn’t mean that Corvin’s responsibilities ended. And now that she’d settled into her own skin (literally) and grown more comfortable and familiar with the Cryptic community and her own abilities, Nora had begun assisting him with the Orai.

Not all the time, of course, but since he and his grimoire had been cleared of miasma, she intended to make sure it stayed that way, and if that meant tagging along to make sure he didn’t do something stupid, then she was going to.

He’d been getting better, at least, but there was still so much miasma in Pine Hollow, so many corrupted Orai, that it was difficult.

Nora was already settled onto the sofa, sinking into it with a heavy sigh, when Corvin flopped across it, his head landing in her lap with a little too much force. She winced and tugged a lock of his hair in response, but at the look on his face, couldn’t bring herself to do much else. Instead, her hand smoothed his hair, combing the silky locks where they spilled around his head like a halo.

Not that she’d ever give him the pleasure of saying that description out loud.

He sighed, the tension leaving his body bit by bit as she continued running her fingers through his hair. After several minutes of this, he finally grabbed her hand to stop her before he sat up, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her, his face burying into her curls.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or am I going to have to guess?” she asked after a moment, twisting slightly to try and get a look at him.

He laughed softly, breath tickling at her neck enough to make her shiver. Under normal circumstances, he would have taken advantage of that to tease her further. The fact that he didn’t simply proved her suspicions right.

“Well? I’m waiting, Cor,” she murmured, leaning back against him.

His arms tightened around her waist. “It’s… very hard, sometimes.” He went quiet again, and Nora gave him the time to think without interruption. “All these people, normal humans, who have no idea what I can see. No idea why they’re drawn to me. Some of them call me their best friend, but… how could I possibly be when I can see what they’re really like?”

He took a deep, shuddering breath and continued. “They like me because their Orai are drawn to me first and foremost. I can’t possibly consider any of them my best friends. That’s… that’s you and Merle. I’m not even that close to other club members.”

Aha. That’s what this was. His gaggle of followers was wearing on him again, as it sometimes did. That was why they ate in the courtyard or clubroom whenever they could, away from people who would never be able to understand him fully. It had gotten much easier for him to steal away to the relative privacy of those spaces now that he and Nora were dating, though they’d had to deal with half-hearted grumbles, teasing, and the occasional outright spitefulness.

Some people had formed heavier attachments to him than they perhaps should have, and hadn’t taken news of their relationship well.

She gave him a few more moments of quiet, waiting to see if he had anything else to add, before she sighed softly. “So what, they can’t be your best friends. What was it… you can be friends with someone even if it’s the Orai that drew them in the first place, right? So what’s actually bothering you?”

“It’s not that easy, either. I… sometimes I have to pretend to be friends? To be friendly without really liking a person? The people who are duplicitous, who act one way but are hiding secrets that I wish I didn’t have to see. Attention-seekers who pretend they’re not, who get jealous when someone else gets what they think they deserve. I can see it, and it… it annoys me, but I have to pretend like it doesn’t. And I hate it.”

She gave a soft hum, considering. “But because of your responsibilities, you can’t just… outwardly dislike someone. I get it.” Nora shifted until she was in his lap, partly turned so she could see him. One hand came up to brush his cheek, a gentle touch.

He nuzzled against her palm, pressing a kiss to it and giving her a soft, sad smile. “I prefer to be honest, but I just can’t be all the time, can I?”

“Unfortunately… no. None of us can. But we do the best we can with what we have.” She took her hand back and lightly tapped his nose with a finger. “Everyone accuses me of overthinking, but it seems like you have that problem, too.”

There was silence for a long moment as he stared at her, bright green eyes wide as if he were marveling at whatever it was he saw. When she raised an eyebrow at him, curious, he broke into a bright smile and dipped down to kiss her soundly, ignoring her brief squeak of protest.

When they finally parted, he nuzzled back against her neck, holding her close. “Thank you, Nora.”

“Hmph. No need to thank me. What are girlfriends for if not that?” She regretted saying it almost instantly.

Corvin, already recovering and back to his usual obnoxious self, grinned more broadly than ever. “I have lots of ideas…” he began, laughing when she aimed an elbow at him.

At least he was back to normal. Obnoxious or not, she wouldn’t have him any other way.


End file.
